holiday

For every type of mom out there, we can all agree, if you’re looking here for gifts, she wants some wine. Accessorize that bottle with a hometown wine bag. Better yet, accessorize with some accessories. Earrings are always a good idea. Does she need a to-go cup for that last glass of wine? Yes, duh. Does she like to #earnherbooze? Does she need a tank top to proclaim this at the club gym? I bet her bestsellers book club would be impressed with a James Beard award book winner. And I think it’s about time you replaced that fancy punch bowl set of hers you broke in high school. Better bring her a spritz too.

Like this:

Sorry, we’re going full throttle hot pink and hearts this year for Valentine’s Day. Grab a bottle and hang on!

First, yes reader, you really can have a pink bar cart. And vintage ice bucket. And love glasses. And wine bottle. Too much pink? Even it out with a mirrored gold tray and some red sparkle napkins. Fill your rocks glass with giant heart ice cubes while finishing your drink with some forbidden bitters. Not in the mood for love? Then take out your frustrations on a giant piñata filled with booze.

Time to refresh for the new year. Resolutions? Yes. No. Maybe. A juicer for carrot beet cocktails. A cocktail book that will make them taste delicious. Going dry? Well there’s more than more non-alcoholic booze to try. Please say no to plastic straws. Now your options include hay and more. I’d like a bar cart that matches my mid-century home decor with a brass carbonator and a giant stoneware decanter.

If you were to ask me about superstitions, I’d say they’re not something I believe in. Except… I’d kinda be lying. See, the thing is, some years ago I developed this superstition that how I rang in the New Year would somehow dictate how my next year would be. I took this as vague or as specific as I wanted and I find myself thinking about that now as we approach the coming new year.

Fight with a friend at a NYE party? I’m going to spend the next year having issues with this person. Fell asleep before the ball dropped? I’m going to have trouble meeting deadlines next year. Spend an amazing time with a guy I’d only just started seeing two months ago? Well, then obviously I was going to marry this guy. (All three are true by the way!)

I am a notorious early bird in my family. It’s probably the reason I went to work as a barista instead of a bartender when I first moved out to L.A. It’s part of the reason I heave a big sigh come NYE; I know I’m going to have trouble staying awake. So this year I’m doing a little pre-planning. First, I’m going to push my kids on their grandmother on the 31st and take a long afternoon nap. Next, I’ll be strategically planning my cocktail for the night. It will, of course, have coffee in it. Not just any coffee, I’m infusing some aged rum with a blend of arabica and robusta coffee. Why? Because arabica has a great flavor and robusta brings the CAFFEINE!

I teamed up with Kerrygold Irish Cream to make my perfect NYE sipping cocktail. Mainly, I wanted something reminiscent of a latte that I could enjoy over the course of the night. I’d save the champagne for the countdown toast of course, before making a swift and silent exit. Now, this pre-planning also includes making this coffee infusion; it takes two days. Alternatively, if you’ve got a coffee liqueur you’d rather sub in and save yourself this DIY project, well, then you do you.

If this were to be my coffee order, I’d say it’s a mocha-vanilla-almond-spiced latte. But, you know, spiked. The Kerrygold Irish Cream brings a silky-rich mouthfeel from the cream and just a touch of chocolate, which is how I prefer my coffee drinks when I go the mocha route. The whiskey in there goes quite well with the aged rum and they impart a subtle spice and vanilla flavor that gets enhanced by the addition of Drambuie and a few drops of vanilla extract.

And because it’s New Year’s Eve and we’re feeling fancy, I broke out the edible gold stars for a sparkling garnish for just a hint of glitz. You definitely need a little glitz on this holiday.

Coffee Infused Aged Rum

Combine ingredients in an airtight container (I reused my rum bottle). Swirl to cover the beans. Let sit for 2 days. Fine strain to catch the coffee bean bits (I like using this nut bag for these kind of jobs). Bottle. Use within two years.

Why yes, a bottle of booze DOES fit in a stocking… or 25 bottles of nips.

Stuffing a stocking is about quantity, but you should also consider quality too. From tiny cocktail books, to tiny cocktail kits, shakers for your glitter squad and shakers for your grandpa, gadgets for the oenophiles in your life, and a fancy gold jigger just because. You can never go wrong with more bar tools, and did you know you can make your own gin? The kit fits in here too. And if the person is super picky about booze, get them a gift card and let them choose (we’ve got $5 for all of you).

Like this:

Today I bring you a weekend cocktail. A festive, fir tree scented drink you can sip on as you bake cookies, or wrap gifts, or use as a palate cleanser between licking all those damn holiday cards you still haven’t got out in the mail yet.

Wait… did she say fir tree scented???

Yes! You might be familiar with eau de vie spirits made from fruit, but there is one that is made from pine buds. I have three favorite scents in this world: lilac, wood smoke, and fir trees. So the first time I saw this brandy I went absolutely nuts over it and immediately started making drinks (see here and here). I bring it out during the winter months because that’s when I associate this particular smell, and it makes me a little homesick for the New England winters. And then I remember trying to de-ice a windshield in below freezing temperatures and driving my car into a snowbank one year and I snap right out of that fantasy.

So yes, it’s another groan-inducing variation on a Negroni; a twist on a twist as this stems from a White Negroni. But really, you can call it a Holiday Fir Tree Cocktail for all I care, but what I do want you to do is drink this, especially if you’ve never tried a spirit like this before.

For this drink, stick with a dry or extra dry vermouth, you want a little less residual sugar in there so that the fir tree aroma and flavor stands out. This is on the slightly less bitter side than a classic Negroni, as Bitter Bianco is used, which adds some citrus and delicate floral notes that really work with the pine forest effect of the eau de vie.

Totally optional, but I had a lot of fun garnishing the drink with what looked like snowy tree branches. If you’re trying to impress guests and want a festive garnish, go ahead and add these to the drink. It’s just powdered sugar and rosemary. I’ve made a note on making these following the recipe. Keep in mind though that rosemary imparts its own strong aroma, which can work here, but I would present the drink with the garnish and then remove before imbibing.

To make the “snowy branches”, take a cleaned rosemary sprig and coat lightly with egg whites using a silicone pastry brush. Shake off any excess liquid and immediately dip into a shallow bowl filled with about a 1/4″ of powdered sugar. Swirl the rosemary sprig around to coat and let dry. Once dry, use a garnish on your cocktail. Also looks cute on a some baked cake!

What to get the beer lover in your life? Well, beer to start. Let them tinker in their basement with their own brew this year. Find them a beautiful jug to store it in, and then outfit their home bar with some cool glasses. And if that’s too fancy, a rustic sign and a reusable red cup lets them relive their college days (minus the landfill waste). What goes best with beer? Pizza! And if that’s not enough, let them lather themselves in the sweet, sweet aroma of…beer.

This post is brought to you by Specialty Retailers, Inc. Recipes and ideas are my own.

Did you know that Margaritas are the most popular cocktail in the U.S.? Probably not surprising when you think of the amount of frozen, neon colored drinks you encounter walking down the main strip in Las Vegas. I’m sure those are being counted in this statistic. And that bottled drink mix with the svelte lady on the front; that’s probably being counted too. But here in my home bar, a Margarita is a solid, easy to mix drink with endless variations. And today we’ll be making them holiday ready for a little online party!

Today I’m taking part in Stage’s virtual holiday party and sharing my Cranberry Sauce Margaritas to help celebrate and #SetYourHolidayStage! I’m making them extra festive with an easy DIY rosemary sugar rim you can whip up in minutes and use all holiday season long. As my older readers know, I have an entire front yard full of rosemary. So when the Fall and Winter seasons are upon us, I’m sticking it in everything. Food, of course, but also in lots of cocktails. If you’re finding us through the Stages Holiday Party, a quick search through the archives will introduce you to a whole new world of using rosemary in cocktails; take a look!

We still have two whole weeks until Christmas and who knows how many parties we’ll be going to or hosting up to then. If you’re in charge of drinks, Stages has all the accessories you need to make prepping and decorating easy! We did a quick shopping trip online to get all our gear for our virtual party including glasses, those cute gold foil holiday napkins, a caddy to hold the napkins and straws, a chalkboard sign to write out the name of our Signature Cocktail, the containers to store the rosemary sugar, a dipping tray for all the ingredients for the Cranberry Sauce Margaritas, as well as some festive decorations like this teeny tiny lights and the nutcracker. Even my holiday sweater came from there! SO MANY GREAT ENTERTAINING OPTIONS.

Ok, so you set your holiday stage and are ready for guests. Let them feel in charge with a little DIY bar set up. This 3 cup dipping tray could hold snacks any other time of the year, but today it will hold all the components for the Cranberry Sauce Margaritas: cranberry sauce, lime wedges and the rosemary sugar. Put out some little spoons for the dishes and some shot glasses for the booze components. Holiday parties should be about coming together with friends and family, and having this little DIY bar lets guests mingle about with one another.

The recipe for the Cranberry Sauce Margaritas has just a touch of sweetness in it from the cranberry sauce and the Grand Marnier. You can adjust going up or down with either to your liking. I also think adding just a touch of the rosemary sugar into the drink doesn’t hurt either, just remember to shake it really well to combine it all! TIP: use the spent lime wedges from the cocktail recipe to help rim the glasses. Then you won’t need to waste additional lime wedges just for rimming. Also, when rimming your glass, use a shallow bowl or rimmed plate and push the sugar out towards the edges so that the sugar will evenly coat around the glass.

Let’s make some drinks!

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas

First, rim a rocks glass with the rosemary sugar. Set aside. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled 2/3 with ice. Shake well to combine, about 30 seconds. Strain over fresh ice into the prepared rocks glass. Add additional cranberry sauce if desired. Optionally garnish with a rosemary sprig.

Rosemary Sugar

Take one sprig of rosemary and remove all the needles. Finely chop them. Combine the chopped needles and the sugar in an airtight container. Mix well to evenly distribute the rosemary. Add a few extra sprigs to the jar, shake, and let sit overnight or up to a few days. Sugar may look clumpy but it will dry out and break down. Remove the sprigs, seal the jar, and keep in a cool, dry place up to three months.

This post is brought to you by Beaujolais Wines. Recipes and ideas are my own.

This holiday season I’m taking a step back from all the hustle and bustle, all the commercials and “must buys”, and taking a moment to spend time with family and friends in the most fun, totally seasonal, best way possible to celebrate the holidays: a cookie decorating party. But this party is for adults only. Why? Because we’re cracking open a bottle of Beaujolais to celebrate our nearest and dearest all while having some holiday fun.

If the idea of hosting a holiday cookie decorating party makes your palms sweat (I need how many cookies?!?!), even with a glass of wine, just hold on, because I’ve got some tips and tricks that will make this party a breeze!

1. First, let’s talk about the wine. While you might think Beaujolais wine is best served slightly chilled in the summertime, it’s actually a great wine to have around the cooler winter months too. That’s because it goes well with just about anything; including cookies. If you’re thinking ahead towards all your holiday meals this month, try picking up a case to have on hand. Serve it at meals and keep a bottle handy for the random relative who stops by unannounced! And if you can, try and get a mixed case. That’s right! Beaujolais comes in red, white and rosé.

2. Cookies. You have a couple options here when it comes to the cookies.

Are you someone who can whip up 4 dozen batches of cookies without blinking an eye? Then baking them all from scratch shouldn’t be an issue. Go you!

Pressed for time? Make half the cookies from scratch and buy the rest. Most grocery stores with a bakery will have unfrosted cookies on hand like sugar cookies. Personally, I am terrible at making sugar cookies so I bought mine. But I have a fantastic gingerbread recipe that makes solid cookies every time (see below). So I made those for the party.

You can always ask people to bring undecorated cookies too! There is probably a friend or relative in your life who likes to bake. Reach out to them for some help making cookies, they probably would love to bake!

3. Decorations. With endless possibilities for decorating, limit yourself to just a few ideas. You’ll end up with less waste and won’t have a pantry full of half used sprinkles and sanding sugar to deal with the rest of the year. For my cookie party, I made one batch of royal icing and put scoops into smaller piping bags and mixed a few colors right in the bag. Again, if you haven’t the time to make icing, guess what? You can buy it and it will work just fine! For decorative elements, I kept it simple with some colorful sprinkles, red and green sanding sugar, edible silver balls, and some tiny edible gold stars I had left over from another cocktail project. You could go even less than this if you wanted, or just use icing and nothing else. We also had some filled cookies so I put out a bowl of raspberry jam that was in the refrigerator. You probably already have some things at home you could use!

4. Plan your stations. Short on space? No kitchen table? No problem. Set up a cookie decorating space where people will have access to cookies, plates, napkins, and bowls for putting decorations in. Don’t forget the wine glasses and wine tags too! A kitchen counter is a great setup. I have a long buffet at home that people could grab everything they needed. Not enough room at the kitchen table? Set up a cozy holiday blanket on the floor for everyone to spread out on. Remember to tell guests to bring slippers!

5. Packing it up. After all the fun your guests will have decorating cookies and celebrating the season with a glass of Beaujolais, remember to have containers ready for guests to bring their cookies home in. This could be as simple as a small paper bag, or pick up a bulk pack of gift boxes. Going this extra step shows your guests you’ve thought of everything and will save you the hassle of trying to find to-go containers at the end of the night for everyone.

I hope I’ve inspired you to create some new holiday memories in a fun and creative way! Cookie decorating should definitely be on your holiday party list this year. And don’t forget the Beaujolais! Cheers!

Combine all the dry ingredients, except the brown sugar, into a bowl. Whisk ingredients together until they are evenly combined.

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and dark brown sugar together on medium speed until fully combined. Once the dark brown sugar is evenly incorporated into the butter, add the molasses and continue to mix the ingredients scraping the bowl down as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing on medium speed until ingredients are fully combined.

Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the dry-ingredient mixture in three equal batches, mixing until evenly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle, then mix on low speed for about one more minute, just to ensure that all the ingredients have come together.

Form the dough into a block and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until lightly chilled throughout.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Cut out the desired shapes and place onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325 for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before decorating with royal icing.

Got a cocktail enthusiast on your list this year? There’s plenty of great books that have been released recently to stir up some creativity. Here’s 9 of our favorites to give as gifts this holiday season for newbies through the professional.